1. Technical Field
This invention relates to navigating an online database. More specifically, the invention pertains to applying a cluster analysis technique to the online database and returning one or more pages with hyperlinks to relevant data.
2. Description Of The Prior Art
In the ever evolving world of electronic commerce, large quantities of data are available over a wide area network. Many domains exist in commerce or other areas where choices are exercised by a large population of people and the selection of these choices are published or otherwise made available to members of the public over the wide area network. One example of the selection and display is seen in an online catalog where consumers browse and search for product. From time to time, consumers may select one or more searched products to purchase. In one embodiment, the consumer may browse among selections made by other people who previously searched the site for the same or similar products. The set of choices available to consumers, together with the set of selections made by people among those choices comprise an online database.
One example of an online database available to search for product is Amazon.com. On the Amazon.com web site, the set of products available for sale and purchase by a consumer together with a set of one or more purchases of product made by other consumers, form a database of choices. Consumers may navigate web pages on this site to find product to purchase based upon this database. In one embodiment, the web site provides the consumer with information about purchase patterns to assist the consumer in navigating the wealth of product available to purchase. For example, one or more recommendations may be made to the consumer based upon information collected about the consumer.
Another example of the online database pertains to survey data and compiling data from the surveys. For surveys that are conducted online, large quantities of people are polled to solicit responses about public opinion. Data provided in response to the polling questions is gathered. In one embodiment, results of the survey are published showing statistical results for each question in the form of one or more number tables or graphical summaries.
The prior art data analysis does not provide an unbiased selection of correlation within the data. With respect to voting, summaries of votes on a per question basis are shown. What is not shown in the data output is how votes coincide with votes on one or more other questions. Similarly, with respect to product purchases, recommendations of product are provided. However, such recommendations are programmed into the web site based on user's past behavior and stated preferences. The recommendations provided on the electronic commerce site do not enable the user to navigate patterns of choices by other consumers.
With respect to either product purchase or survey data, consumers who want to explore new territory are often frustrated when given recommendations based upon previous choices. The previous choices are generally limited to a biased view of data.
Therefore, there is a need for systematic rationale that supports navigation of choice patterns within a database. Although the information currently provided to the consumer is interesting, the data underlying the information is static and does not support general purpose navigation there through. Since databases are constantly changing with addition of new data, the navigation of the database should support the dynamic nature of the online database. Accordingly, there is a need for a tool to support and enable navigation of patterns established in a database, wherein the tool takes advantage of the dynamic characteristic of the database.